Parton began performing as a child, singing on local radio and television in East Tennessee. At age 12 she was appearing on Knoxville TV, and at 13, she was recording on a small label and appearing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. When she graduated from high school in 1964 she moved to Nashville, taking many traditional elements of folklore and popular music from East Tennessee with her.
Parton's initial success came as a songwriter, with her songs being covered by Kitty Wells, Hank Williams, Jr., Skeeter Davis, and a number of others. She signed with Monument Records in late 1965, where she was initially pitched as a bubblegum pop singer, earning only one national chart single, "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby," which did not crack the Billboard Top 100. Additional pop singles also failed to chart.
The label agreed to have Parton sing country music after her composition "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" as recorded by Bill Phillips (and with Parton, uncredited, on harmony) went to No. 6 on the country charts in 1966. Her first country single, "Dumb Blonde" (one of the few songs during this era that she recorded but didn't write), reached No. 24 country 1967, followed later the same year with "Something Fishy," which went to No. 17. The two songs anchored her first full-length album, Hello I'm Dolly, that same year.
In 1967, Parton was asked to join the weekly syndicated country music TV program hosted by Porter Wagoner, replacing Norma Jean. She also signed with RCA Records, Wagoner's label, during this period, where she would remain for the next two decades. Wagoner and Parton immediately began a hugely successful career as a vocal duet in addition to their solo work and their first single together, a cover of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind," reached the top ten on the U.S. country charts in late 1967, and was the first of over a dozen duet singles to chart for them during the next several years.
Parton is a hugely successful songwriter, having begun by writing country songs with strong elements of folk music in them based upon her upbringing in humble mountain surroundings. Her songs "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene" have become classics in the field, as have a number of others. As a composer, she is also regarded as one of country music's most gifted storytellers, with many of her narrative songs based on persons and events from her childhood.
In 1982 Dolly Parton sang her song "I Will Always Love You", for the movie "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", starring Parton and Burt Reynolds. The song - originally composed around 1974 - made few ripples, but it wasn't until Whitney Houston re-recorded it for "The Bodyguard" a decade later, that the song made yet another international hit for Dolly Parton. She later put out her own version on the 1996 album of the same name.
In 1987, Parton left her longtime label, RCA, and signed with Columbia Records, where her recording career continued to prosper, but by the mid 1990s, Parton, along with many other performers of her generation, found that her new music was not welcome on country radio playlists. She recorded a series of critically acclaimed bluegrass albums, beginning with "The Grass is Blue" (1999) and "Little Sparrow" (2001), both of which won Grammy Awards. Her 2002 album "Halos and Horns" included a bluegrass version of the Led Zeppelin classic Stairway to Heaven. In 2005, Parton released Those Were The Days, her interpretation of hits from the folk-rock era of the late 1960s through early 1970s. The CD featured such classics as John Lennon's "Imagine," Cat Stevens' "Where Do The Children Play," Tommy James' "Crimson & Clover," and the folk classic "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", as well as the title track.
In 2007, Dolly paved new musical ground by forming her own record label, Dolly Records. The label's first release - Backwoods Barbie - debuted at #2 on the Billboard country albums charts and marks Parton's first mainstream country album in 17 years. Parton is touring North America and Europe throughout 2008 in support of her latest release.
1955
When They Ring Those Golden Bells
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you and me
There′s a land beyond the river
That we called the sweet forever
And we only reach that shore by faith's degree
One by one we′ll gain the purpose
There to dwell with kings immortal
Don't you hear the bells ringing
Can't you hear the angels singing
Tis the glory hallelujah jubilee
In that chorus sweet forever
Just beyond the shinning river
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
We shall know no sin or sorrow
In that heaven of tomorrow
When our backs shall sail beyond the silvery sea
We shall only know the blessing
Of our fathers sweet caressing
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
Oh don′t you hear the joy bells ringing
Can′t you hear the angels singing
Ti's the glory hallelujah jubilee
Oh in that far of sweet forever
Just beyond the shining river
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
When our days shall know their number
When in death we sleep in slumber
When the king commands the spirit to be free
Never more will anguish learn
We shall reach that lovely hill
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
Oh I hear the ringing
Oh I hear the singing
Ti′s the glory hallelujah jubilee
In that hour of sweet forever
Just beyond the shinning river
When the ring those golden bells for you and me
Oh when they ring those golden bells for you and me
The song “When They Ring Those Golden Bells” by Dolly Parton is a gospel number that speaks of the land beyond the river, which is referred to as the “sweet forever”. The song describes how only faith can help people reach this land, and there dwell with “kings immortal”. The song speaks of the belief that when they ring the golden bells, people will reach the next world. It speaks of the joy bells and angels singing to declare the arrival of people at the “sweet forever”. The song is an expression of the belief that in the next world, people will only know the blessings of life and not the sorrows and sins of life. The song speaks of how death is only an extension of life, and when people sleep in death, the king will command their spirits to be free.
Line by Line Meaning
When they ring those golden bells
When the bells made of gold sound
For you and me
Meant for us
There's a land beyond the river
There is a place across the river
That we called the sweet forever
We named it the everlasting sweet
And we only reach that shore by faith's degree
We can only arrive there by believing
One by one we'll gain the purpose
We will each obtain our goal one after the other
There to dwell with kings immortal
To live with the eternal kings
Can't you hear the angels singing
Do you not perceive the sound of the singing angels
'Tis the glory hallelujah jubilee
It is the celebration of hallelujah glory
In that chorus sweet forever
In that melody that never ends
Just beyond the shining river
Just on the other side of the bright river
We shall know no sin or sorrow
We will not have any wrongdoing or sadness to know of
In that heaven of tomorrow
In that paradise of the future
When our backs shall sail beyond the silvery sea
When we cross over the silvery sea with our backs to it
We shall only know the blessing
We will only know the good fortune
Of our fathers sweet caressing
From our beloved father's tender touch
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
When the bells made of gold sound for us
Oh don't you hear the joy bells ringing
Do you not hear the joyful bells ringing
Ti's the glory hallelujah jubilee
It is the celebration of hallelujah glory
Oh in that far off sweet forever
Oh, in that far distant everlasting sweet
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
When the bells made of gold sound for us
When our days shall know their number
When we have counted all of our days
When in death we sleep in slumber
When we sleep in death
When the king commands the spirit to be free
When the king lets the spirit be free
Never more will anguish learn
Pain will never return
We shall reach that lovely hill
We will arrive at that beautiful hill
Oh I hear the ringing
Oh, I hear the sound of the bells
Oh I hear the singing
Oh, I hear the sound of the singing
In that hour of sweet forever
In that moment of the everlasting sweet
When they ring those golden bells for you and me
When the bells made of gold sound for us
Writer(s): Dion Demarbelle
Contributed by Jason A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
poeticjewelz
Thanks for sharing this song! Jerry Lee Lewis does a fantastic version and Natalie Merchant does, too! They’re all so wonderful!
srh2301
The best version IMHO is on Natalie Merchant's Ophelia. Where the Dolly Parton version sounds like a dance in the country club, Natalie's and Karen's interpretation is like angels singing to a funeral march. Perfectly matching melancholy.
lucky wambua
Originally done by Loretta Lynn, so cool!
trevor tomah
There is a land beyond the river, we call the sweet forever, Epic lyrics.
Greta Alcindor
Wow so beautiful love this song and of course dolly Parton she is one of my favourite singer
ncavlleguy
BEAUTIFUL
Greta Alcindor
I can't stop listening to this beautiful song of yes lord those golden bells Will ring some day
Mirlyn Campbell
I always love dolly parton
Toby Drew
TUBA SKINNY'S VERSION IS MY FAVORITE.
Isaiah Hemphill
Butiful